Manon Rheaume
| birth_place = Beauport, Quebec, Canada | sex = f | ntl_team = CAN | draft = | draft_year = | draft_team = | career_start = 1991 | career_end = 2009 |}} Manon Rheaume (born on February 24, 1972) is a female Canadian ice hockey goaltender who signed a contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL) in 1992, appearing in preseason exhibition games in 1992 and 1993. She spent five years in professional minor leagues, playing for a total of seven teams and appearing in 24 games. She also played on the Canada women's national ice hockey team, winning Gold Medals at the IIHF Women's World Championship in 1992 and 1994 & the Silver Medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics. Playing Career Manon played for the Sherbrooke Jofa-Titan squad in the League Régionale du Hockey au Féminin in the province of Québec. She was signed to the Trois-Rivières Draveurs in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, one of Canada's top junior ice hockey leagues for the 1991-1992 season, becoming the first woman ever to play in a men's Junior A hockey game. In 1992, Manon tried out for the Tampa Bay Lightning, and was signed as a free agent. This was the first time a woman tried out for an NHL team. She played one period in an exhibition game against the St. Louis Blues, allowing two goals, and played in another exhibition game against the Boston Bruins in 1993. During that same year, she was selected for the Canada national women's ice hockey team. She won gold medals at the 1992 and 1994 IIHF Women's World Championships & was named to the All-Star team both years. She won the Silver Medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano In 1992, Manon was signed by the Atlanta Knights of the International Hockey League (IHL). Her first appearance against the Salt Lake Golden Eagles marked the first time a woman appeared in a regular season professional game. She played for seven different teams between 1992 and 1997, including Atlanta, the Knoxville Cherokees, Nashville Knights, the Las Vegas Aces, the Tallahassee Tiger Sharks, Las Vegas Thunder and the Reno Renegades, appearing in a total of 24 games. While in Atlanta, Manon wrote her autobiography "Manon: Alone In Front Of The Net" She initially retired from professional hockey in 1997. Post-Playing Career For the 1999-2000 season, Manon was the goaltending coach of the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs women's ice hockey program. In 2000, she entered into the business world, serving as the marketing director for Mission Hockey in Irvine, California, for three years, developing and promoting girls' hockey equipment. She later worked in marketing at the Powerade Iceport in Milwaukee and with the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. In October of 2008, the IHL's Port Huron Icehawks announced that they were going to have Manon take part in their training camp activities and play for at least a period of the team's exhibition season opener. On April 3, 2009, she suited up for one game with the Flint Generals IHL team. She had been with the practice team since January, filling in for their regular goalie and became the third woman to play for the Generals. Manon played for the Minnesota Whitecaps in 2009, and helped lead them to the Clarkson Cup finals. On March 19, 2009, the Whitecaps (with Manon in the net) beat the Montreal Stars in a playoff game by a score of 4-3 in overtime with Kim St. Pierre in net for the Stars. During the 2008-09 WWHL season, Manon's Whitecaps took two of three games from the Calgary Oval X-Treme. Those losses snapped a string that saw the X-Treme go two years without tasting defeat in the regular season. In 2015, she dropped the puck in the ceremonial opening faceoff before the first ever National Women's Hockey League game. Teams *1991-1992: Trois-Rivières Draveurs (QMJHL) *1992: Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL), played one exhibition game. *1992–93: Atlanta Knights (IHL) *1993: Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL), played one exhibition game. *1993-1994: Knoxville Cherokees (ECHL), played four games. *1993–1994: Nashville Knights (ECHL), played four games. *1994: Las Vegas Thunder (IHL), played two games. *1994: Las Vegas Aces *Played one game with Feldkirch. *1994: Tallahassee Tiger Sharks (ECHL) *1995: New Jersey Rockin Rollers (RHI) *1996: Ottawa Loggers (RHI) *1996: Sacramento River Rats (RHI) *1996–1997: Reno Renegades (WCHL) *1998: Canada women's Olympic hockey team *2000-2001: Montreal Wingstar (Forward) *2007–2008: Little Caesars Senior Women's A Hockey Team (playing as a forward instead of Goaltender) *2009: Port Huron Icehawks (IHL) *2009: Flint Generals (IHL) *2009: Minnesota Whitecaps (WWHL) Notable Firsts *First girl to play at the International Pee Wee Hockey Tournament. *First woman to play in a major junior game. *First woman to play in a National Hockey League game, which also made her the first woman to play in any of the major professional North American sports leagues (September 23, 1992). *First woman to win a game in professional roller hockey Personal Life Manon was married to Gerry St-Cyr, a roller hockey player and minor league hockey player in June of 1998, whom she later divorced. The couple has a son named Dylan. In 1999, she was hired by Mission Hockey as head of global marketing for women's hockey. One of her projects was helping develop hockey skates for women. Manon formed the Manon Rhéaume Foundation in 2008 which provides scholarships for young women. Category:1972 births Category:Tampa Bay Lightning players Category:Canadian ice hockey goaltenders Category:Tampa Bay Lightning Category:Atlanta Knights player Category:Las Vegas Thunder players